Operational Excellence Manager

Location:

Lincoln, Illinois

Employment Type:

Full-Time

Work Arrangement:
Onsite – Monday through Friday

The organization is seeking an experienced Operational Excellence Manager (OPEX) for its manufacturing facility in Lincoln, Illinois.

This highly visible plant leadership role will champion the organization's Continuous Improvement System (ECIS), Business System (EBS), Lean Manufacturing, and Six Sigma methodologies to build a strong culture of problem solving, operational discipline, and sustainable performance improvement.

The OPEX Manager will work directly with the plant leadership team to develop and execute the site's continuous improvement roadmap, strengthen daily management systems, develop employee capabilities, and accelerate business results across manufacturing operations.

• Safety
• Quality
• Delivery
• Cost
• Productivity
• Working Capital
• Customer Satisfaction
• Employee Engagement

This position is ideal for a hands-on continuous improvement leader who can translate business strategy into practical improvement initiatives, coach employees and leaders, and deliver sustainable operational and financial results.

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of experience in manufacturing, operations, engineering, quality, supply chain, or another cross-functional discipline within a manufacturing environment.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in continuous improvement, Lean, Six Sigma, or operational excellence.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience leading people, projects, and cross-functional teams.
• Strong understanding of Lean Management Systems and their connection to business strategy, daily operations, and waste elimination.
• Broad knowledge of Lean tools and principles, including
  :
  • Value Stream Mapping
  • 5S / Workplace Organization
  • Continuous Flow Manufacturing
  • Setup Reduction
  • Total Productive Maintenance (TPM)
  • Error Proofing
  • Pull Systems
  • Standardized Work

• Master's degree from an accredited institution.
• Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
• Project management experience or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
• Experience or certification in Total Productive Maintenance (TPM).
• Experience in setup reduction and structured problem solving.
• Experience leading Kaizen events.
• Experience implementing Lean material flow improvement initiatives.
• Experience developing and deploying continuous improvement systems within manufacturing facilities.
• Experience leading Operational Assessments and developing improvement roadmaps.
• Demonstrated success delivering measurable cost savings and productivity improvements.

• Strong understanding of Lean Management Systems and their connection to business strategy, daily operations, and waste elimination.
• Broad knowledge of Lean tools and principles, including VSM, 5S, continuous flow, setup reduction, TPM, error proofing, pull systems, and standardized work.
• Strong analytical, facilitation, and problem-solving…